Born Marie Magdalene Dietrich on December 27,
1901, Marlene Dietrich was always known for her low sensual voice and
'bedroom eyes'. Even at an early age her ability to allure men with her
skyward glances was confidently blossoming - and eventually one of her
professors at school was abruptly terminated. Examples of this powerful
femininity would follow her throughout her personal life and career (she had
a reputation of romancing many of her co-stars). Starting out in over a
dozen silent films - her characterizations became increasingly hypnotic.
Josef Von Sternberg takes the credit for bringing her to Hollywood where her
photographic affair with the silver screen continued to stratospheric
proportions often playing devious women of low moral character, but usually
impeccably dressed.

In her later life she often utilized the crutch of alcohol and the final 13
years were spent in almost total seclusion. Residing at an apartment in
Paris, she withdrew from public life corresponding frequently with friends
and colleagues via telephone. This only seemed to fuel her mystique which
even today remains in the accentuated lore of Hollywood's Babylon.

Destry Rides Again (1939) The Lady Is
Willing (1942) A Foreign Affair (1948)

Titles

Shanghai Express
(1932) - Sternberg rightly banking his cinema muse's power
avoids any chance of Anna May getting an entrenched foothold. Great support
comes in the form of Warner Oland who plays the evil revolutionary leader who
tries in on with both gals... but this is all Dietrich and Garmes' exquisite
cinematography. This is film mood at its absolute pinnacle - a high-class exotic
passenger ride in spacious train cars with thick velour seats - my imagination
makes them maroon-ish red. A masterpiece.

Blonde Venus (1932) -
Mainly noted for Dietrich singing 'Hot Voodoo' in a gorilla
suit, this otherwise unremarkable and dull star vehicle has the
pouty one turn night-club singer paying for her ailing husband
Marshall's European cure. When she spots politician playboy
Grant, she has a better idea, preferring a love-less
relationship to the hard life of nightclub singing. Meandering
between social realism and flights of fancy, the film which
looks lavish but lacks a convincing plot. Grant seems lost.
Dietrich can at least burst into song every other reel or so;
nevertheless, this was a mere rest stop in her career.

The Devil Is a Woman
(1935) - Josef von Sternberg's final collaboration with Marlene
Dietrich (1935) was out of circulation for many years, withheld
by Paramount at the request of the Spanish government, which
objected to the portrayal of the nation's officials as
doom-ridden romantics. But the material world, of Spain or
anywhere else, has little to do with Sternberg's creation, which
remains one of the most coldly beautiful films ever made.
Sternberg's universe is a realm of textures, shadows, and
surfaces, which merge and separate in an erotic dance.

Destry Rides Again (1939) - Marvellous comedy Western,
with Stewart's pacifist, reputedly wimpy marshal taming the
lawless town of Bottleneck by means of words and jokes rather
than the gun Donlevy's villain repeatedly provokes him to use.
What is remarkable about the film is the way it combines humour,
romance, suspense and action so seamlessly (with individual
scenes - Dietrich singing 'See What the Boys in the Back Room
Will Have', Stewart's delicious parable about a homicidal
orphan, Mischa Auer losing his pants - indelibly printed in the
memory). Flawless performances, pacy direction and a snappy
script place it head and shoulders above virtually any other
spoof oater.

The Lady Is Willing
(1942) - A spendthrift stage star (Dietrich) astonishes her
entourage (MacMahon, Ridges, Canty) by deciding to raise a
foundling baby. Her instant motherhood is as impractical as it
is impulsive. This brings her into contact with a pediatrician (MacMurray).
He is 'the best' at his job though he says that he detests
children; his real interest is in research. In order to adopt
the baby she proposes a marriage of convenience - he gets
research funds, she gets a doctor on the premises. It's a
business arrangement: no sex. Of course complications develop,
and eventually.

A Foreign Affair (1948) -
Shot amid the ruins of Berlin, Wilder's satire on the corruption
among GIs fraternising with the locals did not go down too well
with the Defence Department. Arthur plays a prim congresswoman
investigating an army officer (Lund), and when she realises she
really has fallen for her man, she has to win him away from the
exotic charms of chanteuse Dietrich. This may not be Wilder at
his best - the story develops along fairly predictable lines,
with Arthur switching her starchy uniform for a glistening
evening gown - but there are some precious set pieces, notably a
seduction among a row of filing cabinets and Dietrich's club
act, not to mention a crackling script.

Coming out at the end of
November, 2006 is the
Marlene Dietrich: Movie Collection - 18-disc - containing
Angel, Blonde Venus, Desire, Destry Rides Again, The Devil Is A Woman,
Dishonored, The Flames Of New Orleans, Follow The Boys, A Foreign Affair,
Golden Earrings, Morocco, Pittsburgh, The Scarlet Empress, Seven Sinners,
Shanghai Express, The Song Of Songs, The Spoilers and
Touch Of Evil.

The Other Dietrich Classics available at Amazon France:

(CLICK COVERS)

In Region 1 Marlene Dietrich: The Glamour Collection (Morocco/ Blonde
Venus/ The Devil Is a Woman/ Flame of New Orleans/ Golden Earrings) is
REVIEWED
HERE

It seems like we have been waiting for a
decent
Shanghai Express
since the advent of DVD. Well, now it's here.

The package was quietly released with very
few reports on it. Basically it includes 3 of the same DVDs (exactly the
same) sold in France by Universal -
Blonde Venus (1932),
The Devil Is a Woman (1935) and A Foreign Affair (1948),
one film currently available on DVD in region 1 (Destry
Rides Again) and 2 new releases - Shanghai Express (1932)
and The Lady Is
Willing (1942). NOTE: Shanghai Express
is actually available in a horrendous DVD from Prestige Films - which
can't hold a candle to this one (see capture comparisons below).

This Boxset is
comprised of three standard-size transparent DVD cases that hold two
DVDs each (in individual tab compartments - not overlapping). All are
single-layered except A Foreign Affair which is dual layered. All
are progressively transferred and have optional English subtitles
(although some of the French duplicated DVDs have many more language sub
options - English, German, French, Dutch, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish,
Swedish and Danish).

Overall the digital image
on these discs look fairly good. Some faux grain/noise and light
scratches, occasional dirt but there appears to be no manipulations in
brightness boosting and the detail is quite acceptable for films of this
age. They are generally
consistent. Audio is not stellar but I noted no glaring deficiencies.

There are no extras - but here is the
best feature - at present this is 70% OFF at Amazon UK
HERE. A huge savings for a great boxset IF you aren't buying
the 18 -disc'er coming out November 27th, 2006.

Coming out
at the end of November, 2006 is the
Marlene Dietrich: Movie Collection - 18-disc - containing
Angel, Blonde Venus, Desire, Destry Rides Again, The Devil Is A Woman,
Dishonored, The Flames Of New Orleans, Follow The Boys, A Foreign Affair,
Golden Earrings, Morocco, Pittsburgh, The Scarlet Empress, Seven Sinners,
Shanghai Express, The Song Of Songs, The Spoilers and
Touch Of Evil.

The Other Dietrich Classics available at Amazon France:

(CLICK COVERS)

In Region 1 Marlene Dietrich: The Glamour Collection (Morocco/ Blonde
Venus/ The Devil Is a Woman/ Flame of New Orleans/ Golden Earrings) is
REVIEWED
HERE